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Beekee in & Develo ment No 53
��'(ti�Apimondi�
A:uated Vancouver Convention Centre. .._,-his provided a fantastic arena for
S
the XXXVI international beekeepin
eptember 1999 was the date,
Vancouver Canada the venue, for the biannual phenomenon that is
the Apimondia Congress.
Stringent planning and attention to detail
by the Local Organising Committee
meant that the Congress ran as
smoothly as Niagara Falls. The Congress
took place in the huge, spectacularly-
situated Vancouver Convention Centre.
This provides a fantastic arena for Api-Expo (the Congress trade display)
and halls for all the dozens of sessions, meetings and symposia that took place. Apimondia Congresses are the venue for meeting apicultural scientists and
practitioners from every part of the world.
New faces
This year saw the retirement of the Apimondia President, Professor
Raymond Borneck from France after
15 years in office. We wish Professor
Borneck a "happy retirement"!
Congratulations to Mr Asger J0rgensen
from Denmark who now steps into the "hot seat" as Apimondia President.
Future plans
In two years' time the Apimondia
Congress will take place in Durban,
South Africa. To prepare for this meeting
a Working Group within the Apimondia
Standing Commission for Rural Development has been established to
co-ordinate preparations and material
for presentation. The Working Group will use Bees for Development's network for dissemination of
information. We want the next Congress
to focus on beekeeping as a way to stop poverty. Sessions will cover extension
and training, and beekeeping in the African continent, and there will be plenty of opportunity for fresh information input for people new to the field.
So you want to take part?
The Alternative Bee Space, Apimondia 99
During the week three separate sessions concerning Beekeeping for Rural
Development took place. These covered many aspects of our areas of interest
and brought together old and new friends to share experiences.
Many more informal, but just as
important discussions took place during
the week at the Alternative Bee Space
within Api-Expo. Materials explaining beekeeping from around the world attracted people away from the shiny stainless steel equipment. Here they
listened to the news from B&D correspondents and delegates talking about rural development, and how beekeeping is working in some of the poorest parts of the world.
You cannot begin too early to seek
funding for your own attendance at these Congresses. Make your interest known in good time to the Congress
Organisers (see Look Ahead for contact
addresses), and make sure you stick to
deadlines for submission of papers and
early registration dates. Once you have a paper accepted for presentation, you have a better chance of funding from local donors. Apimondia and
Bees for Development do not
have funding resources.
Awards
There are many categories of medals and awards at Apimondia Congresses. Congratulations to all this year's winners. We are pleased to relate that at this Congress the Alternativ Bee Space organised by
Bees for Development
received a High Commendation.
Bees for Development acknowledges: CIDA (Canada), IDRC (Canada), Apimondia Local Organising Committee (Canada),Api Promo-GTZ,(Germany), Cera Rica Noda Co Ltd ljapan), Technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural Co-operation, CTA (The Netherlands), International Foundation for Science (Sweden), Tobago Apicu/tural Society, E H Thorne (Beehives) Ltd (United Kingdom), Freeman & Harding Ltd (United Kingdom), and The Commonwealth Foundation (United Kingdom). Support from these organisations
enabled the participation of people from
developing countries, the Alternative
Bee Space display, and a reception for
Beekeeping for Rural Development on
the first evening of the Congress. Bees for Development would like to
express sincere thanks for this support.
explanation please! Apimondia is the World Federation of Beekeepers' Associations. The headquarters of the General Secretariat is in Rome, Italy and a printing house is in Bucharest, Romania. Every two years Apimondia convenes the International Beekeeping Congress held in a different country each time. In 200 I the venue is South Africa and 2003 in Slovenia. Look Ahead in B&D brings you up-to-date information about all international meetings related to beekeeping and development. The Bees for Devel_opment stand at Apimondia, with Colin Calver and M S Reddy
